When these primitives are used to compose a parser for Roman Numerals the result yet again demonstrates the amazing capabilities and elegance of functional programming. The problem of parsing Roman Numerals is not a very difficult one. But still, I find the simplicity of constructing a solution by combining primitive parsers fascinating.

Here is the implementation. It is super easy, I was able to write this in less than 15 minutes without tests first, worked the first time.Continue reading →

Function composition is about the essence of programming. Complex problems can be solved by decomposing them into many smaller problems that each can be worked out easily. Finally those small pieces have to be put together to form the overall solution. One way of combining these small pieces is function composition.

Also function composition is a great tool that makes the code more compact and reduces noise. Because of the concise syntax there are fewer possibilities to make mistakes like mixing up parameters e.g.

In this post I will show how function composition can be implemented in C# and how it is related to currying and partial application. Also I will discuss the pros and cons of function composition in C# and point out an alternative. All C# source code from this post can be downloaded here.